Washington (CNN) - Dan Coats, the former Republican senator from Indiana trying to get his job back, is doing some old-fashioned saber-rattling as he fights his way through a crowded Republican primary.

In an interview with Human Events on Wednesday, Coats said the "only option" left to prevent Iran from developing nuclear weapons is the threat of military action.

Coats said most Americans agree that Iran must not be allowed to have such weapons, even though Iranian leaders continue to press forward with their nuclear program.

"And yet, no one has gone past that point and said 'If it's unacceptable, what are we going to do?,'" Coats said. "And now it seems we're being asked to accept the unacceptable."

"And the only option now is potential military action if we're going to stop this," he continued. "The unknown factor in all of this is the situation the Israelis are in, sitting there looking at the nation that's proclaiming it wants to eliminate that country from the face of the earth. And that's the kind of threat that I think America has not understood."

soundoff(33 Responses)

Jane/Seattle

Just another WARMONGER trying to make some more trouble for us to pay for! I say You want WAR, You go Pay for it Yourself, Dude! Elected officials in America are charged with fixing America, not Iran. Leave other countries alone. The Constitution is clear on this point and it has been bastardized by warmongers.

America needs it's military only to defend it's shores from invasion, NOT to go sauntering all over the globe trying to remain an Empire! In fact, it is these wars that are Crippling and Bankrupting America. 911 has been used as just one more excuse to injure, kill, rob other nations! Just look at the meddling in Haiti to see how unclean and dirty these empires are and remain! Peace

February 25, 2010 11:52 am at 11:52 am |

LADYMARY

Just what we need.........ANOTHER WAR! Obviously the Republicans have no oher ideas other than to start shooting at anyone and everyone.

February 25, 2010 11:54 am at 11:54 am |

PJ

Cool! Let's attack EVERYONE! JUST like Hitler...good luck on that, Coats, you freak...

February 25, 2010 12:00 pm at 12:00 pm |

RAG

Trying to drum up support for a needless a war in order to win an election is the abolute lowest thing that a human being can do. Dan Coats is human garbage.

February 25, 2010 12:02 pm at 12:02 pm |

jules sand-perkins

No! Mr. Coats must not be aware that President Obama spoke quite sternly to the Iranian government, even threatening them with sanctions.
Mr. Coats, we are now, under the President's leadership, in a new, more evolved era of peace, tranquillity, and cooperation in the world, respecting those that were thought to be our enemies and uniting into one peaceful global community.
World peace, under President Obama, is our only option, Sir.
You need to join us as we move into the New World of love.

February 25, 2010 12:05 pm at 12:05 pm |

Chris Dickson

It's about time we had someone with some common sense and raw guts at the helm. Dan Coats ought to be running for President rather than United States Senator!

February 25, 2010 12:10 pm at 12:10 pm |

Pete

Fine. I hope the good would-be Senator will spell out how he would fund the war with Iran that he clearly wants. Perhaps he'll call for a tax increase so our deficit doesn't grow bigger.

February 25, 2010 12:13 pm at 12:13 pm |

rosslaw

So long as Dan Coats and the rest of the flag-label wearing, yellow-tailed chickhawks lead the invasion, I'm all for it.